Existing technologies associated with data mining and information retrieval are typically single function solutions that are directed to solve a single problem. For example, a World Wide Web (Web) search engine is directed only to search Web pages. Another exemplary single function solution is an email application where only emails can be accessed. Since single function solutions are independent of each other, accessing data using multiple single function solutions can be time consuming, costly, and prone to errors.
Single function solutions are not integrated because the types of data handled by each single function solution are processed differently. For instance, in technologies associated with data mining and information retrieval, data can be classified into unstructured data and structured data. In general, structured data are structured for storage in data structures associated with database management systems while unstructured data are not structured for database management systems. Since unstructured data can be difficult to access and analyze, especially by database management systems, single function solutions usually do not process both structured data and unstructured data. As a result, the difficulties of integrating structured data and unstructured data hinder the access of unstructured data and structured data from different single function solutions.
In view of the foregoing, there is a need for methods and systems for processing data such that unstructured data and structured data can be integrated into and accessed by a single application.